The signatory governments of
the member States of the Council of Europe,
Considering that blood-grouping reagents are not available in unlimited
quantities;
Considering that it is most desirable that member countries, in a spirit
of European solidarity, should assist one another in the supply of these
blood-grouping reagents, should the need arise;
Considering that such mutual assistance is only possible if the character
and use of such blood-grouping reagents are subject to rules laid down jointly
by the member countries and if the necessary import facilities and exemptions
are granted,
Have agreed as follows:

Article 1

For the purposes of this Agreement,
the expression "blood-grouping reagents" refers to reagents of
human, animal and plant and other origin, used for blood-grouping and for
the detection of blood incompatibilities.
Any Contracting Party may, by a declaration addressed to the Secretary General
of the Council of Europe, when signing this Agreement or depositing its
instrument of ratification or approval, or accession, limit the application
of this Agreement to blood-grouping reagents of human origin. This declaration
may be withdrawn at any time, by notification addressed to the Secretary
General of the Council of Europe.

Article 2

The Contracting Parties undertake,
provided that they have sufficient stocks for their own needs, to make blood-grouping
reagents available to other Parties who are in urgent need of them and to
charge only those costs of collection, processing and carriage of such substances
and the cost (if any) of their purchase.

Article 3

Blood-grouping reagents shall
be made available to the other Contracting Parties subject to the condition
that no profit is made on them, that they shall be used solely for medical
purposes and shall be delivered only to bodies designated by the governments
concerned.

Article 4

The Contracting Parties shall
certify that the provisions as laid down in the Protocol to this Agreement
have been observed.
They shall also comply with any rules to which they have subscribed with
regard to international standardisation in this field.
All consignments of blood-grouping reagents shall be accompanied by a certificate
to the effect that they were prepared in accordance with the specifications
in the Protocol. This certificate shall be based on the model to be found
in the Annex to the Protocol.
The Protocol and its Annex constitute an administrative arrangement and
may be amended or supplemented by the governments of the Parties to this
Agreement.

Article 5

The Contracting Parties shall
take all necessary measures to exempt from all import duties the blood-grouping
reagents placed at their disposal by the other Parties.
They shall also take all necessary measures to provide for the speedy delivery
of these substances, by the most direct route, to the consignees referred
to in Article 3 of this Agreement.

Article 6

The Contracting Parties shall
forward to one another, through the Secretary General of the Council of
Europe, a list of the bodies empowered to issue certificates as provided
in Article 4 of this Agreement.
They shall also forward a list of bodies empowered to distribute imported
blood-grouping reagents. Wherever possible these bodies should be the same
as those referred to in Article 6 of the European Agreement on the Exchange
of Therapeutic Substances of Human Origin.

Article 7

The present Agreement shall
be open to the signature of Members of the Council of Europe, who may become
Parties to it either by:

signature without reservation
in respect of ratification or approval, or

signature with reservation
in respect of ratification or approval, followed by ratification or approval.

Instruments of ratification
or approval shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Council
of Europe.

Article 8

The present Agreement shall
enter into force one month after the date on which three Members of the
Council shall, in accordance with Article 7, have signed the Agreement without
reservation in respect of ratification or approval or shall have ratified
or approved it.
In the case of any Member of the Council who shall subsequently sign the
Agreement without reservation in respect of ratification or approval or
who shall ratify or approve it, the Agreement shall enter into force one
month after the date of such signature or the date of deposit of the instrument
of ratification or approval.

Article 9

After the entry into force of
this Agreement, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe may
invite any non-member State to accede to the present Agreement. Such accession
shall take effect one month after the date of deposit of the instrument
of accession with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

Article
10

The Secretary General of the
Council of Europe shall notify Members of the Council and acceding States:

of the date of entry into
force of this Agreement and of the names of any Members who have signed
without reservation in respect of ratification or approval or who have
ratified or approved it;

of the deposit of any instrument
of accession in accordance with Article 9;

of any declaration or notification
received in accordance with the provisions of Article 1, paragraph 2;

of any notification received
in accordance with Article 11 and its effective date;

of any amendment of the Protocol
and of its Annex under Article 4, paragraph 4.

Article
11

The present Agreement shall
remain in force indefinitely.
Any Contracting Party may terminate its own application of the Agreement
by giving one year's notice to that effect to the Secretary General of the
Council of Europe.
In witness whereof the undersigned, duly authorised thereto by their respective
Governments, have signed the present Agreement.
Done at Strasbourg, this 14th day of May 1962, in English and French, both
texts being equally authoritative, in a single copy which shall remain deposited
in the archives of the Council of Europe. The Secretary General shall transmit
certified copies to each of the signatory and acceding governments.

Protocol and annexe

The text is not reproduced
in this publication. To obtain the text, see page 19.